


Fireplaces On A Dark Moon

by Kunstpause



Series: One Jedi's Heart [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-26 01:03:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7554190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kunstpause/pseuds/Kunstpause
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yarvin IV is a turning point in many ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fireplaces On A Dark Moon

Every ounce of hate or dislike she ever felt for the Empire itself somehow disappeared on Yarvin IV. Everything she learned about them from the Jedi, everything the Republic told her seemed meaningless when confronted with the truth: That they were as much a victim of their Emperor than Zhyi's home was. That they were opposing him just as fiercely once they found out the truth about him. 

The first night Zhyi spent around a fireplace talking to Darth Nox, a member of the Dark Council about everything that had been happening she felt her whole world view shift. Not slowly, but with the force of sunlight flooding a room after you ripped the curtains away. Nox, who introduced herself as Shiwon, told her about she had been used before by the ones in power to further their own agenda, how the opposed them and won and how she will never let anyone do this to her again. And all Zhyi could do was nod in understanding and admiring the woman next to her for having the strength to go against impossible odds and simply not giving up.

Between spending the past two years with Lord Scourge, now meeting her and earlier that day getting to know the current defacto leader of the Empire, Darth Marr, she felt like this coalition should have happened a lot earlier. The Empire was always this collective source of evil in the Galaxy, the ones that only want warfare and threatened the republic's and Jedi's way of life in her mind. Zhyi found nothing of that here. All she could see were people trying to survive.  
Shiwon asked her about her fight with the Emperor and Zhyi told her the entire story of how she fought him before. She felt understood in a way she hadn't often before and there was sympathy in Darth Nox's eyes like she had only ever seen in Lord Scourge before so she spared no detail. 

Shiwon's eyes went wide towards the end. "I honestly did not expect such a tale from a Jedi of all people." Her voice was somewhat curious and a bit cautious at the same time.  
Zhyi laughed out almost a little too loud at this. "Well, I am sorry but if I am very honest I have to tell you that for all the praise the republic rains on me sometimes I am actually rather bad at being a Jedi according to my masters." To her own surprise the words didn't sound bitter at all.

Shiwon leaned towards her with amusement in her eyes and whispered over exaggeratedly loud: "Don't tell anyone, but I've been told I make a very poor Sith more than just once." When they were both grinning Shiwon sat back again. 

"But you are a Dark Council member!" Zhyi almost exclaimed. She always assumed that one had to be pretty by the book to get on there. 

Shiwon nodded. "And believe me, that was not an easy feat. But it helps that I have an ally in Marr." She looked over to where the Sith was standing and calmly discussing tactics with the Jedi Grandmaster. "He feels that I, and I quote him directly here 'serve the empire in my own way' which is basically Marr's way of saying he doesn't understand why I do what I do but he accepts it." 

Zhyi remembered her last conversation with Satele. "Funny, last time I spoke with the council they told me my 'unique approach to Jedi philosophy' is something we should discuss at some point. Only it sounded heavily like they don't like my approach at all." On the contrary, they council had seldom sounded more disapproving than they had on that day.

That seemed to have peaked Shiwon's interest. "After you agreed with Darth Marr over your Grandmaster on what to do with the Emperor's Guard?" She remembered the tension on the war table very clearly. Especially since she herself was so surprised by the events. After all both her and Marr had expected the republic to present a completely united front, if only on principle.

"Yes, that was my latest great idea. I've worked with the republic military for years and we usually think alike but that sort of strategic warfare thinking does not go over too well with the council. They are idealists after all." She sighed. "Idealism is not bad in my opinion but if there is one thing I've learned in the past years is that it doesn't win you a war." 

The Sith next to her nodded solemnly. Shiwon could relate and from what she had seen in their interactions over the past couple of days the council was more than a little stifling for her taste. She was still surprised that she got along this well with a Jedi of all people but she more and more got the feeling that it was this particular Jedi, and not their general teachings that made their interactions more than bearable. Ever the tactician her mind was already at work figuring out on how to spin this into an advantage. They could use people like this Jedi. Practical, strong in the force, not mad or power hungry and overall more nuanced than many people she had to work with. With a quick glance to Darth Marr she signalled him that they needed to talk later before she and Zhyi went back to a bit of lighter conversation for the rest of the evening. 

The next morning when Zhyi left her tent there was a letter waiting for her. Plain, without any markings. Hand delivered it seemed. It showed Darth Marr's personal seal and she curiously opened it. The message was simple but at the same time said almost to much. This was something she definitely shouldn't show anyone on the council, least of all Master Satele. She tucked it away and glanced around nervously before she could be certain that no one was actually up yet and could have seen her. The letter burning in her pocket with sudden possibilities as she made her way towards the war table to start another day.

_"Well done._  
_While I am certain Satele Shan lacks the resolve to truly punish your defiance of her leadership I am certain she will not reward it, either._  
_The Empire will._  
_That is all."_

**Author's Note:**

> The wording of the letter is the exact one you get in game if you side with Marr over Satele as a republic character.


End file.
